Server Huggers and the Case for Hybrid Clouds

Despite all the news about the benefits of cloud-based solutions, there are a number of organizations who have yet to embrace it. In many cases their IT teams have staunchly advocated keeping their business-critical data and applications in onsite data centers, citing concerns over cost, control and security. IT workers that are reticent about migrating to the cloud are frequently referred to as “server huggers” (a term coined by Forrester). Following are the key concerns that server huggers have over adopting the cloud, and how a secure, compliant hybrid cloud solution may offer them the best of both worlds.

Server huggers’ cloud concerns

Big data is driving many business decisions these days. However, some business and IT leaders fear that by opting to move their data to the cloud, they are giving up at least some control over their data. Some feel that they would have less control over hardware and software updates, which could affect business decisions. Bottom line – they want access to their data 24 x 7 x 365 without being locked into any one cloud service provider (CSP) or application infrastructure.

With high-profile data breaches experienced by Target, JP Morgan and the U.S. Postal Service continuing to dominate the news, relying on a cloud service provider to store their valuable data seems like an unnecessarily risky move for server huggers. And for organizations bound by compliance regulations such as those in healthcare and financial services, a data breach not only hurts their business, but also poses serious legal ramifications. Server huggers reason that by keeping their data onsite they can address security issues directly.

Another concern server huggers have is related to cost. Having already invested in the facilities, hardware and resources to maintain in-house data centers, server huggers are reluctant to take on the expense of moving data to an offsite facility.

The case for hybrid clouds

As we discussed in our recent blog post, The Top Six Technology Priorities for IT Leaders, IT leaders need to ensure that their data is easily accessible and always available. HOSTING cloud experts work with organizations to create a hybrid cloud environment that enables them to retain confidential data in-house while providing access to a wider selection of cloud computing services found in our public cloud. HOSTING has six geographically-dispersed data centers, allowing them to quickly access their data whenever they need to.

The HOSTING hybrid cloud also offers a suite of monitoring solutions that deliver a comprehensive, unified view of systems to monitor network connectivity and resource usage –ensuring systems are always on. With customized thresholds for system alerts, companies can identify and address issues before they affect user experience. All of HOSTING’s cloud solutions are backed by dedicated support teams who are available 24 x 7 x 365. And all of our security and monitoring solutions can be accessed via the HOSTING Customer Portal™.

If a company is relying on its in-house data storage facilities, it’s only a matter of time before they outgrow them. Leveraging a cloud-based solution frees companies from the burden of investing and maintaining additional hardware onsite. HOSTING cloud solutions enable organizations to adopt a “pay as they go” model, allowing them to engage the resources and expertise of our cloud experts, pay for what they use, and realize potential cost benefits throughout the year.